The billionaire was reluctantly `angry` because he was among the top rich people, and just wanted to give away his entire inheritance 9
Despite owning a fortune worth billions of dollars, Yvon Chouinard felt reluctant when Forbes called his name on the list of billionaires.
Adventurers are most likely familiar with the giant outdoor clothing brand Patagonia.
This information makes people eager to learn information about this strange businessman.
Athletes make a living selling homemade items
Yvon Chouinard (born 1938) was one of the leading climbers during the `Golden Age of Yosemite Climbing`.
An avid mountain climber, Chouinard taught himself blacksmithing in 1957 to create reusable climbing gear that wouldn’t pollute the environment.
Chouinard’s pitons quickly became known to many climbers.
But around 1970, Chouinard became aware that the use of steel pitons was causing significant damage to Yosemite Valley’s fissures.
Not long after, in 1989, the company filed for bankruptcy protection against liability lawsuits.
The turning point of becoming an entrepreneur
The idea for an outdoor climbing clothing business came to Chouinard during a visit to Scotland in the winter of 1970. Chouinard bought some rugby shirts and sold them with great success.
Chouinard realized that financial success could help him achieve his personal goals.
Patagonia’s mission has always reflected Chouinard’s do-gooder attitude.
In addition, the company also supports employees working on local environmental projects.
In 2018, the company changed its purpose to `we’re in business to save our planet.`
Even Chouinard’s wife Malinda Pennoyer has never wavered in their goal of doing good and giving what they can.
The man became a billionaire `reluctantly`
According to The Guardian, the article published in 2017 by Forbes made Yvon Chouinard `really angry`.
While many people dream of achieving a nine-figure fortune, Chouinard sees this as a sign he has failed in his life’s mission: To make the world a better and fairer place.
`Instead of extracting value from nature and turning it into wealth for investors, we will use the wealth that Patagonia creates to protect the source of all wealth,` said Yvon Chouinard
To do this, the Chouinard family transferred 2% of its voting shares into the Patagonia Purpose Trust to oversee and ensure that the brand stays true to its original values.
Explaining his decision to quit the company, Chouinard told the New York Times: `I was listed as a billionaire by Forbes magazine, which really made me very angry. I don’t have $1 billion in
However, in reality, according to Forbes’ most recent data, Chouinard owns assets worth 1.2 billion USD.
Chouinard `never wanted to be an entrepreneur,` he wrote in a letter to Patagonia customers announcing the plan.
In 2017, a Patagonia spokesperson told Forbes: `We strongly object to being included on this list. Chouinard also never bragged to his friends about being declared a billionaire.`
Chouinard isn’t shy about calling himself a `dirtbag`, he used to spend more than 200 nights a year sleeping outdoors.
Synthetic
